Mounted in a perched position, this yellow-crowned parakeet specimen looks sharply to the left. Its name derives from the bright yellow patch on top of its head, which ends with a small red patch above the beak. The body and tail feathers are a vibrant bright green while the wings are edged with blue, aqua, and brown feathers.

The yellow-crowned parakeet is one of three parakeet species that once occurred widely on the South Island. As late as the nineteenth century they were recorded as pests of fruit crops in this region. Parakeets have not been seen in lowland South Canterbury for some decades.

Parakeets nest in holes in trees, which can make them vulnerable to predators such as stoats. They feed on insects, fruit, and seeds, and probably played an important role in spreading seeds through forest areas.

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